I’m going to let you in on a little secret. You ready for this? Are you sure? OK…here it goes. I do not like cinnamon. At all. Well, except for the hint of cinnamon in my apple cider wax melts. However, like the rest of the world, my kids LOVE cinnamon. One of their favorite things are cinnamon rolls. Especially the kind you can buy at Ikea! So, today, I decided to use my gorgeous matte black KitchenAid stand mixer I got for Christmas and make cinnamon roll bread.

Instructions

One at a time, add your salt, baking powder and flour. Mixing well in between each addition.

Add the cinnamon and sugar for the swirl in a small bowl. Mix lightly with a spoon until it is thoroughly incorporated.

Place have of the batter in your greased loaf pan. Add some of the cinnamon sugar swirl mixture and slowly take a butter knife and gently cut that swirl mixture through the batter.

Add the rest of the batter into the loaf pan and put the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of that. Again, slowly cut that swirl mixture through the batter.

Bake in the oven for 55-60 minutes. Remove and immediately place tip the bread onto a wire rack. While the bread is cooling, mix up your topping and pour over the loaf of bread. Enjoy!

Delicious Cinnamon Roll Bread

OK…so, like I said, I don’t like cinnamon, but this cinnamon roll bread smelled amazing while it was baking. You will have a little bit of the vanilla topping left over. Feel free to add more to the top of the bread. If I ate this cinnamon roll bread, I can tell you, I would want MORE frosting! However, the amount I have on there is what my husband and kids like. Also, I make everything gluten free (love this gluten free flour), but you can totally use the same amount of regular flour.

Each slice of this cinnamon roll bread has just the right amount of the cinnamon sugar swirl. I have a feeling the kids will be fighting to finish this bread off! They’ve already asked me if I will make this cinnamon roll bread again. I’m guessing it’s a keeper!

Other delicious recipes you need to try

It’s so hard to believe that 2018 is done. So much as gone on in 2018. I started the year with gallbladder surgery. It was a much needed surgery. Almost immediately after surgery, I felt relief for the first time in months. Fast forward a few months…I dislocated my knee and that escalated into me needing knee surgery. Right before that surgery, I decided to switch to Weight Watchers. I figured that would be an easier diet to follow while recovering. After a short three month vacation on Weight Watchers, I decided to get back on Keto.

Back on Keto

While I enjoyed the extra carbs on the Weight Watcher diet, it became abundantly clear that my body did not like the extra carbs. Sure I lost a little weight, but my hands felt swollen, my stomach felt bloated and that brain fog feeling I said goodbye to when I first started the Keto diet, was back. After eating WAY too many cookies at Thanksgiving, I started thinking about going back to the Keto diet. Everyone told me to wait until January 1st. Figured it would be easier for me to get through the holidays, but I couldn’t wait that long. About one week before Christmas, I was back on Keto.

The first time around on Keto, I lost 90 lbs! My husband lost 125 lbs! Throughout the course of 2018 and my multiple surgeries, I did gain about 12 lbs back. Besides the weight loss and total body transformation, my blood work is now perfect and I am no longer on any daily medications. Best of all, in 2018, I got to update my drivers license picture!

How to Get Started

First things first, you need to understand what the Keto diet actually is. In a nutshell, with the Keto diet, you focus on your macros (fat, protein and carbs). You eat a higher fat, moderate protein, low carb diet. Instead of your body relying on carbs to fuel it, you switch to burning fat. Figuring out your appropriate macros for you is super easy. I really like the “Keto calculator” from Ruled.Me. If you are unsure what your body fat percentage is and you do not have a caliper, then Ruled.Me has a link to comparison pictures for you to quickly figure out your body fat percentage.

Once you have your macros figured out, you need to use an app to track everything. The first time around, I used My Fitness Pal. However, I was finding that things were not scanning in correctly or the things people entered into the app were not always accurate. Now I use an app called Carb Manager. It is available both on Android and iOS. I like the look and functionality of the Carb Manager app. The night thing is, unlike My Fitness Pal, you really don’t need the premium version of the app to be successful with it! Though, I will say, the premium version of Carb Manager has a lot of delicious recipes that I find very worth it!

Favorite Keto Recipes

I have to say, being back on Keto is making me remember how much I loved this lifestyle. Not only do I feel amazing (no bloating, no brain fog, etc), but the food is just delicious! Here are some of my favorite recipes:

My goal, now that I am back on Keto (besides losing the last remaining weight and being able to say I lost over 100 lbs) is to post a new Keto recipe a few times a month. Follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to get instant updates when I post a new recipe!

Keto Diet Tips

In the beginning, as you get into Ketosis (burning fat for energy instead of glucose), you may experience “Keto Flu”. Ride it out. Trust me. You will feel like crap and you may even want to gravitate to the “carb comfort foods”. Don’t do it! Drink lots of water, keep your electrolytes up, and know that this period will be over in a few days. Some things I do to help with Keto flu are:

Drink Powerade Zero (isn’t 100% Keto, but it’s Keto enough for me)

Drink chicken broth (the added sodium is necessary to help with those electrolyte imbalance)

Add in a Magnesium Supplement

Once you’ve been on the Keto diet for a couple weeks, you will notice something amazing. You no longer crave foods. It takes a bit longer for the psychological part to pass. You know, that part where you think you need something, but you really don’t. It could be something as simple as you are watching a show and you always have XYZ while you watch that show. It’s not that you need that item or that you even want it, but your habit is that you do. Good news is, if you stick to the Keto diet, you will start to form new habits. Or…better yet…you will realize that food becomes a means to fuel your body and that hold that food has on you will no longer be there. It’s such an amazing feeling!

As always, if you have any questions, or you just want a little support, message me! I am happy to help, if I can!

This time of year, my absolute FAVORITE thing is anything and everything with peppermint. My Gluten Free Peppermint Bark Brownie Cheesecake was a huge hit a couple years ago. I think everyone loved it! This year, I decided to make something a little different. These Chocolate peppermint chip cookies are amazing. Super easy to make, quick to bake, and they are full of chocolatey goodness! If you are looking for a cookie recipe to impress this holiday season, this is it!

Put your dough in the fridge for 1 hour. It will be very thick. That's OK!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheet with parchment paper or your silicone baking mats (these are a really good price!!).

Using your cookie scoop (another amazing price), place the cookie dough on the cookie sheets and bake for 9-10 minutes. Do not over bake. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before placing them on a wire rack to cool.

Recipe Notes

**Be sure to store your cookies in an air tight container.

Chocolate Peppermint Chip Cookies

Don’t these cookies sound amazing? They are the perfect amount of chocolate and peppermint. My son would prefer MORE white chocolate peppermint chips, while my daughter would prefer less. One thing you could do is sprinkle extra chips on the cookies when they come out of the oven. However, it’s definitely not necessary (well…unless you are like my son)…the cookies are delicious just the way they are.

Gluten Free or Not!

I made these chocolate peppermint chip cookies with Namaste Foods Gluten Free Four. However, if you don’t have to or want to make them gluten free, then don’t! Simply use the same amount of flour that is not gluten free! They turn out perfectly with either flour you choose to use!

You have plenty of time to make these for Christmas. If you are having a hard time finding the white chocolate peppermint chips, check your local grocery store. I found my at Kroger. If you have a Christmas celebration that is after Christmas (like I do), order them on Amazon!

Other Peppermint Recipes You MUST Try

Like I said, this time of year (or any time really), chocolate and peppermint are my favorite things. These are some other peppermint recipes you must try:

Since I spent half of October and most of November recovering from knee surgery, I feel like I am really behind on the Christmas shopping. My husband and I always fill stockings for each other. Well, let’s be honest, I buy half of my stocking and all of his! It’s much easier for me to just pick up the makeup I like from Ulta than send him there to get it! While I am driving and getting around much easier now after surgery, I still get tired easy, so I am doing a lot of shopping online. Here are some of the best stocking stuffers for men. Best part is, you can get them ALL online!

Every Man Loves the Funky Socks!

Every stocking in this house, always has socks in them. My husband is no different. He loves socks. This year he will have a pair of crazy dress socks he can wear to work, as well as socks he can wear with his cowboy boots. The funkier the socks, the better! Which is so funny to me. I read an article about how tacky it was for women to wear funky socks, yet it is totally OK for men to wear funky socks. Who knows!

Beard Accessories

This year, my husband has a beard. So I will be looking at different products and accessories to help maintain his beard. I am not sure how long he will have his beard, I will be looking for small bottles that he can take on the plane with him.

Jerky’s and Snacks!

Since my husband travels a lot, filling his stocking with some of his favorite snacks is always a good idea. I like to find things that you can’t typically find in your average grocery store. Things like jerky’s, snack mixes, hot sauces…they are all stocking stuffers for men winners for sure! I will be ordering the exotic jerky stick gift bag for sure!

That Unique, Can’t Live Without Stocking Stuffers

While the above stocking stuffers for men are great, I also like to add that unique item that he’s totally not expecting. Random things that are totally useful, but not something he would every think about buying for himself. Yet, when he gets in in his stocking, he is SOOOOO thankful for it! Wife of the year right here!

One of my favorite desserts is fudge. I remember going to Mackinaw Island when I was a kid and buying all kinds of different flavors of fudge. If you aren’t able to get to Mackinaw Island to buy their delicious fudge, then these easy fudge recipes are for you! Even if you are able to go (and you should…Mackinaw is such a nice place), you’ll want to make these recipes. Especially with the holidays coming up. Everyone loves fudge and they love easy recipes. This is a definite win-win!

With the holidays quickly approaching, I am starting to think about the menu and more importantly, the desserts I want to have for our Christmas dinner. My husband and I are hosting this year, so I am really trying to plan the perfect menu. Some of these quick and easy recipes are definitely on the menu.

Easy Fudge Recipes

This time of year, peppermint everything is my favorite. Combine that with chocolate and it’s heaven on a plate! These easy fudge recipes are so perfect! Which one (or two or three…) fudge recipes sound good to you?

Soooo…which of these fudge recipes will you be making? I am definitely making the peppermint fudge. Like I said, peppermint is my favorite, as is white chocolate. The peanut butter fudge sounds good, as well. No matter which one of these easy fudge recipes you make, your friends and family will love them!

If you are following the Keto diet, don’t fret! I have you covered! These Keto approved fudge recipes are perfect!

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